Thursday, March 8, 2012

Why, I Don't Think Obama Ever Meant One Word Of What He Said In 2008 On The Campaign Trail

More than half of Obama’s 47 biggest fundraisers, those who collected at least $500,000 for his campaign, have been given administration jobs. Nine more have been appointed to presidential boards and committees.

At least 24 Obama bundlers were given posts as foreign ambassadors, including in Finland, Australia, Portugal and Luxembourg . . .

We need a President who sees government not as a tool to enrich well-connected friends and high-priced lobbyists, but as the defender of fairness and opportunity for every American. That's what this country has always been about, and that's the kind of President I intend to be.

You know what they say the road to hell is paved with.

Via Ed Morrissey, (and thanks for the h/t on that, Ed!) this is a fun tale weaving together Obama, Warren Buffett and lower taxes through the muscle of high priced and well-connected lobbyists for . . . corporate jet owners (you may remember how much I liked Obama's corporate jet owners shtick):

As the parties battle over taxes, the deficit and economic inequality, two arguments that have been marshaled to advocate for the Democratic position are that taxpayers should not be subsidizing private jet travel and that Warren Buffett’s tax bill is way too low — lower, Democrats and Buffett himself have repeatedly noted, than his secretary’s. ...

But when a Buffett company had a chance to tackle both problems, it chose to do the opposite. And it spent handsomely on K Street to get it done.

Berkshire Hathaway-owned NetJets Inc. spent more than $2.5 million on a squadron of lobbyists who successfully crafted tax legislation to benefit a handful of private jet companies, according to a HuffPost analysis of lobbying disclosure records.

When big business doesn't like something in the tax code, they can hire a lobbyist to get it changed, but most working people can't afford a high-priced lobbyist. Instead of honoring that core American value - opportunity for all - we've had a system in Washington where our laws and regulations have carved out opportunities for the few.

The American people have spoken out, and they are saying we need to move in a new direction... Are you really ready for change? Because if you are ready for change, then we can go ahead and tell the lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda are over.

...would have a lot of problems with President Obama. But then again, as I argued in 2008, the Obama of 2008 should have had a lot of problems with Senator Obama.

Four years later and here we are again, with Obama having lived down to my expectations as a cynicial, typical politician who would just as easily disown his lofty campaign rhetoric of 2008 as he did Reverend Wright.

Why, I don't think Obama ever meant one word of what he said in 2008 on the campaign trail.